Bertina Hildreth Combes, Associate Professor; Ph.D.,
University of Texas at Austin. Transition of students with
learning disabilities from high school to post-secondary
settings; mentoring; teacher development; use of juvenile
literature in teaching about disabilities.

Learn more about UNT

Toulouse Graduate School

Special Education
Doctoral Degree Program

Graduate opportunities

The doctoral program in Special Education at the
University of North Texas focuses on competence,
excellence and leadership. We train you to assume
leadership positions in higher education or in public
and private education settings.

By pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy degree
in Special Education, you’ll have unique
opportunities to:

Participate in interdepartmental studies

Become involved in community-based
programming

Network with professionals in special
education and other disciplines

The rigorous curriculum allows you to
participate in formal course work, independent
study, internships, practicum and dissertation
research. As you progress through the program,
you can enroll in specialized course work focusing
on autism intervention, emotional/behavioral
disorders or mild/moderate disabilities. You’ll also
receive teaching or related experience before
completing the program.

Outstanding faculty and student support

Our faculty members’ research covers a wide
range of areas, such as:

Educational assessment/evaluation of students
with special needs

Implications of school reform/refinement for
delivery of services to students with special needs

Leadership personnel needs in special education

Prevention and evidence-based interventions
for at-risk populations and individuals with
disabilities

Serving culturally and linguistically diverse
children with special needs in urban and
rural areas

UNT provides a wide variety of services
exclusively to graduate students. The Graduate
Student Writing Support office can help you
with writing, and the Center for Interdisciplinary
Research offers assistance with statistical research.

The Toulouse Graduate School® offers several
professional development workshops, including a
Dissertation Boot Camp. Many of the workshops
are available online for your convenience.

The College of Education is accredited by the
National Council for Accreditation of Teacher
Education (1140 19th St., Suite 400; Washington, D.C.
20036; telephone 202-223-0077). This accreditation
means we meet or exceed strict academic standards
for excellence in education. The college is also one
of Texas’ top producers of teachers, administrators,
counselors and other school professionals.

Research centers and research opportunities

The Department of Educational Psychology is
affiliated with various centers, providing research
and professional development opportunities for
faculty and students.

The Kristin Farmer Autism Center offers
opportunities for research and intervention with
individuals with autism.

The Office of Family Science Education,
Research and Policy engages in research and
outreach to support parent and family educators,
family support professionals and other students.

The UNT Institute for Behavioral and Learning
Differences serves as a resource for professionals,
parents, schools and community and state agencies.
Much of the research focuses on understanding,
developing and initiating strategies involving
unique behavioral and learning characteristics.

Attending UNT

Admission requirements

Admission to the doctoral program is a two-step
process. You need to meet the admission
requirements for the graduate school, which are
outlined at the graduate school website, and provide the
department the following:

GRE scores (The department views high
scores as positive indicators of potential
success in the program. However, lower scores
don’t exclude a candidate who shows positive
indicators in other areas. GRE scores must be
less than five years old.)

Three written letters of recommendation from
academic or professionally applicable sources

Personal statement of career objectives including
how a doctoral degree will advance them

No one factor determines admission to the
doctoral program. We consider several factors
deemed important for success in the program.

Degree requirements

The minimum program requirements are based
on having the appropriate bachelor’s and master’s
backgrounds. Your individual course work will vary
and may include more than the minimum hours
outlined below. The projected requirements are: